4 ms·

To summarize the answer to the title question: the problem is not the time but using word "caramelize". Why do recipe writers use the word "caramelize" when the

To summarize the answer to the title question: the problem is not the time but using word "caramelize". Why do recipe writers use the word "caramelize" when they mean "soften" or "brown"? Well, that's an easy one. It sounds more interesting and flavorful. It sounds cool.

Eric_WVGG 5y ago
because words mean things. caramelization is the process of breaking down sugars into a goo. “soft onions” are not what you’re going for. “brown” is a less precise definition. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization
- gtyras2mrs 5y ago
  When recipes say "caramelize/cook/brown/soften onions for 5 min", what they almost always mean is soften onions until they're a bit brown not caramelize. The brown bits are the result of the Maillard reaction not proper caramelization which takes time for the sugars to break down, but what you have isn't "caramelized onions" what you have is softened onions that are a bit brown. https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-brown-onions-913397 https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-brown-onions-913397 > The problem with using the term "caramelized" for browned onions is more than just inaccuracy. What causes confusion is that the term is used for two very different methods and results. The first method, which involves very slow cooking, results in onions whose cells have broken down so far that they almost form a paste. They brown slowly and evenly, almost from the inside out. > The second method cooks the onions more quickly over higher heat so that they brown before they have a chance to break down. You end up with browned onions that retain their shape and some texture. They also retain much more of their volume.
beervirus 5y ago
That’s not at all a summary of the article.
- dsjoerg 5y ago
  OP didn't claim it was.
SamBam 5y ago
That's exactly the source of the confusion, and this is an argument that has gone round in circles so much in the past decade it drives me up the wall. "This recipe says caramelize the onions for 5 minutes, then add some stock. That's ridiculous, it takes at least 45 minutes to caramelize onions, so I need to add 40 minutes to this recipe." No, this issue isn't with the timing, it's simply with the word "caramelize." Yes, cookbook authors are guilty of incorrectly using the word "caramelize" when they mean brown and soften. No, they are not guilty of simply pretending that they didn't spend half an hour gently caramelizing onions when they write "for five minutes." People learn that caramelization takes a half hour or more, and then they incorrectly assume that this is what you should do with all recipes that brown onions. I grew up and continue to cook classic Italian and classic French recipes (grew up in Italy and France, my family is still in Italy). There are very few Italian recipes that require caramelizing onions, and few French recipes, except those where caramelized onions are a specific feature. For heaven's sake, don't caramelize onions for 45 minutes when making a pasta sauce.
- suction 5y ago
  What if I'm making "Suction's Caramelized Onion Pasta Sauce", though?
  - Ysx 5y ago
    It's only suction's caramalized onion pasta sauce if it comes from the self-loathing region of France. Otherwise it's just sparking onion sauce.
crazygringo 5y ago
It's true. Sautéeing, softening, frying "until golden", browning, and caramelizing are all (consecutive) stages of frying onions -- approximately something like 5 min, 8 min, 12-15 min, 20-25 min, 40-45 min. They are all entirely different things, and recipe writers can be maddeningly imprecise about which one they actually mean. They all have different tastes and/or textures.
- basch 5y ago
  caramelization is a subset of non-enzymatic browning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_browning#Non-enzymatic_browning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_browning#Non-enzymatic_br... I suspect most recipe writers are using brown to mean the verb "to dark golden"
  - crazygringo 5y ago
    Scientifically sure, but nobody's going to say "brown the onions" if they mean to caramelize. Also you should never caramelize if it just says to brown. Browning is about color and deepening flavor, caramelizing is specifically about sweetening on top of that, hence the name.
teorema 5y ago
There was a very good article about this a few years ago, after this Slate piece (this Slate piece was referenced). It was titled something like "Since when did caramelizing onions come to mean browning?" I wish I could find it. Same general issue, although they documented this shift in meaning of "caramelized onions" and how it affects dishes. I remember it well because if how long it took to do and how different carmelized onions are from browned sauteed onions.

Eric_WVGG 5y ago

because words mean things. caramelization is the process of breaking down sugars into a goo. “soft onions” are not what you’re going for. “brown” is a less precise definition. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caramelization

gtyras2mrs 5y ago
When recipes say "caramelize/cook/brown/soften onions for 5 min", what they almost always mean is soften onions until they're a bit brown not caramelize. The brown bits are the result of the Maillard reaction not proper caramelization which takes time for the sugars to break down, but what you have isn't "caramelized onions" what you have is softened onions that are a bit brown. https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-brown-onions-913397 https://www.thespruceeats.com/how-to-brown-onions-913397 > The problem with using the term "caramelized" for browned onions is more than just inaccuracy. What causes confusion is that the term is used for two very different methods and results. The first method, which involves very slow cooking, results in onions whose cells have broken down so far that they almost form a paste. They brown slowly and evenly, almost from the inside out. > The second method cooks the onions more quickly over higher heat so that they brown before they have a chance to break down. You end up with browned onions that retain their shape and some texture. They also retain much more of their volume.

beervirus 5y ago

That’s not at all a summary of the article.

dsjoerg 5y ago
OP didn't claim it was.

SamBam 5y ago

That's exactly the source of the confusion, and this is an argument that has gone round in circles so much in the past decade it drives me up the wall. "This recipe says caramelize the onions for 5 minutes, then add some stock. That's ridiculous, it takes at least 45 minutes to caramelize onions, so I need to add 40 minutes to this recipe." No, this issue isn't with the timing, it's simply with the word "caramelize." Yes, cookbook authors are guilty of incorrectly using the word "caramelize" when they mean brown and soften. No, they are not guilty of simply pretending that they didn't spend half an hour gently caramelizing onions when they write "for five minutes." People learn that caramelization takes a half hour or more, and then they incorrectly assume that this is what you should do with all recipes that brown onions. I grew up and continue to cook classic Italian and classic French recipes (grew up in Italy and France, my family is still in Italy). There are very few Italian recipes that require caramelizing onions, and few French recipes, except those where caramelized onions are a specific feature. For heaven's sake, don't caramelize onions for 45 minutes when making a pasta sauce.

suction 5y ago
What if I'm making "Suction's Caramelized Onion Pasta Sauce", though?
- Ysx 5y ago
  It's only suction's caramalized onion pasta sauce if it comes from the self-loathing region of France. Otherwise it's just sparking onion sauce.

crazygringo 5y ago

It's true. Sautéeing, softening, frying "until golden", browning, and caramelizing are all (consecutive) stages of frying onions -- approximately something like 5 min, 8 min, 12-15 min, 20-25 min, 40-45 min. They are all entirely different things, and recipe writers can be maddeningly imprecise about which one they actually mean. They all have different tastes and/or textures.

basch 5y ago
caramelization is a subset of non-enzymatic browning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_browning#Non-enzymatic_browning https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_browning#Non-enzymatic_br... I suspect most recipe writers are using brown to mean the verb "to dark golden"
- crazygringo 5y ago
  Scientifically sure, but nobody's going to say "brown the onions" if they mean to caramelize. Also you should never caramelize if it just says to brown. Browning is about color and deepening flavor, caramelizing is specifically about sweetening on top of that, hence the name.

teorema 5y ago

There was a very good article about this a few years ago, after this Slate piece (this Slate piece was referenced). It was titled something like "Since when did caramelizing onions come to mean browning?" I wish I could find it. Same general issue, although they documented this shift in meaning of "caramelized onions" and how it affects dishes. I remember it well because if how long it took to do and how different carmelized onions are from browned sauteed onions.